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Best single pitch finger/smear/stem dihedrals

Original Post
Kipp F · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 20

Really like this kind of climbing. I'm thinking the first 20 feet of Coarse & Buggy (11b) in Josh. Obviously the Venturi Effect (12+) comes to mind. Looking for suggestions-best in 5.11 range but 10s and 12s also appreciated! Anywhere in the states-mostly single pitch best. Cheers.

Richard Dana · · Eugene, OR · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 275

Staying with Josh, Spiderline has some epic thin crack/power stemming, albeit much burlier than Course and Buggy.

Although it's bolted, Flying Hawaiian at Rumney comes to mind, and it could certainly go on gear as I believe the FA did.

Sunshine Dihedral at Smith is a classic stemming testpiece, mostly smaller than fingers.

Andy Hansen · · Longmont, CO · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 3,130

Straight Shot on the Alcohol Wall in Red Rock is all of that.

Jon Clark · · Planet Earth · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 1,158

29 Palms (11d+++) and Warrior Eagle (12b) in JT. Another vote for Straight Shot (11d/12a) in RR. 29 Palms is the hardest of the bunch.

Two that aren't quite as pure as far as stemming goes are the crux pitch of Cloud Tower and Seduction Line in RR.

Rich Brereton · · Pownal, ME · Joined May 2009 · Points: 175

Rainbow Wall is the mega-route in this style but here are some others
Bad Habit on the Nuns (down the ridge from Castleton Tower
Teale Tower in Elevenmile Canyon
C'est La Vie p2 in Eldo
Wunsch's Dihedral p3 in the South Platte
The Prow p5 at Cathedral Ledge

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115

Trout Creek has the best concentration of that climbing style for any single wall in North America or perhaps the world. It is just one wall, but the density of 5 star routes is outstanding. Pretty much every route these is a crack in a 120 degree corner, with every crack size from pinched seams, tips, fingers, hands, fists, and wide represented. Most routes offer a good mix of stemming and jamming. There are a lot of finger cracks, although it seems that the best of these tend to be in the 5.12 range. There are also some outstanding (and exciting) stem routes where the cracks pinch to sub-tips. If you like this type of climbing, scheduling a trip to Trout would be well worth it. Go in October or early November; hot in summer, cold in winter, bird closures in spring.

The ultimate pitch in North America in this style, though, would have to be the Shadow, in Squamish. 50 meters, 13a. In general, if you like fingers cracks and stem corners, a trip to Squamish is mandatory. Lots of things to do there, of all grades.

nathanael · · Riverside, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 525

Romantic Warrior in the Needles

The beautiful Book of Deception on Romantic Warrior. Photo by Darshan Ahluwalia

The Shadow in Squamish
vimeo.com/19544985

Book of Hate, Yosemite



Changing Corners
youtube.com/watch?v=yS63AdR…

Ok maybe I left the grades you were thinking.
Steve_ · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined May 2012 · Points: 115

Not single pitch but Green Arch at Tahquitz

mountainproject.com/v/green…

Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349

The Dark Side, on Voodoo Dome. Just to the right of the Emperor crack.

160 feet of A3 or do like Ron Carson did- all free with 3 - 4 bits of pro.

He will not rate it, I couldn't climb it, ether could Kris on TR, and he likes to do "streetcar" and "Coarse & Buggy" over and over again.

nathanael · · Riverside, CA · Joined May 2011 · Points: 525

Edge of Pan (skip to ~5min)
vimeo.com/36440743

Tombstone
youtu.be/QxYF5nSs4Xc

??
youtube.com/watch?v=Fm7u_6w…

Your request for single pitch climbs was obviously ignored in order to suggest the coolest looking climbs.

tbol · · CO · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 1,177

Aerial book (11a) and Over the Hill in Eldo (10b).

Kipp F · · Los Angeles, CA · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 20

Awesome. The shadow is a dream. Wow.

Arlo F Niederer · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 515

Fourth of July Crack (5.12a) at Vedauwoo...and in typical Vedauwoo style...some offwidth to finish!

Fourth of July Vedauwoo

Gruff · · Littleton · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 20

Not my cross to bear in Penitente is awesome (11a/b). mountainproject.com/v/not-m…

Brian Prince · · reno · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 2,727

Some good shit thrown up here. If you're a crack climber, you've gotta love this style. Gotta be able to layback, stem, palm, chimney, or do whatever it takes when that crack pinches out..

I'll add Pegleg (11c or some sandbagged rating like that) in the Needles

Moratorium is the classic in the Valley. Has two out of three pitches that fit the bill.

Shelton Hatfield · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 650

Lots of good stems on the columnar stone. Pure Palm in the Lower Gorge of Smith stands out in my memory, as does Dark Star, although Pure Palm is more of a stembox than a dihedral. The Oak Creek Waterfall has some incredible stems on good stone as well, the route American Caesar being among the best pure stemming I've done there.

Tony Luchetta · · Boulder, CO · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 30

Cosmosis (9+) on Bell Buttress in Boulder Canyon

James Xu · · Moab · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 283

Davidson's Dihedral at Paradise Forks.

Ryan Hill · · Denver, CO · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 30

Inner Chi at the Kung Fu Theater in Zion.

Solid 5.11 stemming and pasting with some perfect finger locks and burly finish. I wouldn't call it the best of this style, but it certainly is a striking line.

Pnelson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 635

Great topic!

Pitches 4-5 of Moonlight Buttress (ok, ok, not single pitch...).

Paradise Lost (12a) at Paradise Forks.

Replicant and Dresden Corner at the New River Gorge (both 11+).

Fuel Injected Hardbody or Disco Machine Gun (5.12) and Variety Pack (11+) at the Creek.

Kevin Piarulli · · Redmond, OR · Joined Nov 2013 · Points: 1,683

+1 for Rainbow Wall, Trout Creek, and Sunshine Dihedral at Smith. Also at Smith is Lion's Chair and many routes in the Lower Gorge.

In Little Cottonwood Canyon the Dihedrals has a handful of classics including Black and White John and Mary (5.11b direct finish) and Stem the Tide (5.10d). Also Gargoyle (5.11c).

Sunspot Dihedral (5.11b) on the Hulk has some epic finger/lieback/stem pitches up high. If you're up there Tradewinds P1 (5.11a) is a good stemming exercise.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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